Desolation
by Ongaku Neko
Summary: Masaomi moves to another country for his job thinking he is going to get away from his life in Ikebukuro. Unfortunately there is one man he can't ever seem to escape from no matter where he goes.
1. Chapter 1

What's this, another story? I'm trying to kill myself, I know. I thought long and hard because I really wanted to write a Durarara fanfic about Izaya and Masaomi that actually has a plot. I hope you guys like!

**Author:** Ongaku**  
Genre:** Romance/Drama**  
Pairing:** Izaya/Masaomi**  
Summary:** Masaomi is moved to another country for his job, thinking he is going to get away from his life in Ikebukuro. Unfortunately there is one man he can't ever seem to escape from no matter where he goes.**  
Disclaimer:** I do not own Durarara or its characters, but this story line is mine. xD

* * *

**Desolation – Chapter 01**

"So, I hear you are getting transferred to America at the end of the week," a young man in his early twenties said to his co-worker while they were waiting for the printer to finish.

"You heard correct," his reply didn't hold much enthusiasm as he continued to just stare at the printer.

"What made them chose you?"

The printer finally finished what the other young man was waiting for so he gathered up all the papers and got ready to make copies. "They didn't choose me, I asked to go."

"Why would you do that? Have you always wanted to live in America or something?"

It was obvious the young man was too curious for his own good.

When his co-worker didn't respond right away he tried to get his attention.

"Kida-san?"

Masaomi clicked the button on the copier and then turned to look at the man asking him questions. It was one thing he couldn't stand about the guy. He just didn't know when to stop talking.

"I needed to get out of this place, too many bad memories."

"Oh!" The other man's face looked full of shame. "I'm so sorry. I had forgotten about all your troubles with your fiancée."

Masaomi smirked to himself. _'So everyone knows. That figures.'_

"It's not just that. I need to get out and move on." Masaomi turned back to the copier when he heard the machine finish and gathered up his papers.

"That makes sense. Well I hope you do well in America then. You will be greatly missed here."

'_Doubt it._' Masaomi suppressed a cold laugh at the thought. "Thanks, well I better get back to work. Talk to you later."

"Yeah, see ya."

In reality, Masaomi was not going straight back to his desk to work. His desk was more of a front to hide the fact that his real job was to try and keep other businesses from stepping on their turf, which meant some of the things he did were not very legal and not something you would talk about in everyday conversation.

When he had first started this job, he thought he was going to be a regular paper pusher. Doing mundane work in a cubical would have been fine with him as long as he had a job to help support himself and his fiancée without having to rely on a certain information broker anymore.

Things just never go as planned, and he ended up getting involved with all the wrong people again. His actions got the attention of the higher ups and it resulted in them thinking he would be much more suited for their dirty jobs. At first he was really against it, but over time he got used to it, and even enjoyed the fact that he was getting a lot more money for it. Not to mention he was pretty damn good at it.

However, his fiancée started to get suspicious about what he was doing and that is what caused their split up.

For many years Masaomi worked with his fiancée – Saki – for a man that had made his life miserable on many occasions. Normally, he wouldn't have even thought about working for this man, but because he was the one who paid for all of Saki's medical bills they had to do something to pay him back. That way they wouldn't have to owe him anything.

That man's name was Izaya Orihara, and he took pleasure in making people's lives a living hell. Yet he would claim to love all humans, except for Shizuo - of course - who was the only man Izaya tried to avoid.

Masaomi worked for Izaya from the age of sixteen until the age of twenty. That was when he decided he wanted to marry his first love, Saki. He wanted to pull away from everything that had to do with Izaya. It took some convincing on Saki's part because she still idolized him a bit even after everything he put them through, but as soon as he mentioned marriage she finally agreed to it.

The first two years went well. He was working a normal nine-to-five job, making enough for them to live on and still continue to pay off their bills to Izaya. Then his job changed and he started to have to do night shifts. Saki didn't like this much, and started to complain. When she asked him about his shifts he would tell her he couldn't talk about it, which made her suspicious about him being unfaithful.

He couldn't really blame her, they went through a lot and he was a very flirty and animated guy. However, at the time, when she was confronting him about it all he could do was get mad. When he finally snapped and told her he was doing the dirty jobs of the company, instead of being happy that he wasn't cheating on her, she said the words that ended their relationship for good.

"_This is why we never should have stopped working for Izaya."_

It always came back to him. No matter what happened, she could never just let him go. It wasn't until that point that he noticed just how much that was weighing him down and he just wasn't happy. So he told her that perhaps they shouldn't get married and they should go their separate ways.

She started to cry, but didn't really fight it. He never really understood her; he wasn't even sure if she ever truly loved him after all this time.

Now, at the age of twenty-three, Masaomi had no fiancée, and no close friends. He had lost all of them when he chose to be with Saki. At times he would bump into Mikado and Anri but they were in their own little world these days, so he didn't feel like he could really be friends with them anymore. Besides, he didn't want to intrude on their lovey-dovey atmosphere when he was so dumpy.

So when he learned that his current company was going to open up another location in America, he had to jump on it because it was exactly what he needed to be able to escape. He was a little nervous about it because it would be a completely new place with different customs and such, but he was pretty sure all the challenges would keep him busy, and clear of any thoughts about Saki.

At least he could say there was one good thing about working for Izaya over the years. He had forced him to learn English. It was a good way for him and Saki to spy on certain people in the past. He would probably be a little rusty, but he was confident that he would pick it all back up once he was forced to use it again. He was surprisingly a fast learner when it came to English since it was his favorite subject in school.

Tonight he was going to have to go home and start packing. Perhaps he would play some loud music to make it more enjoyable. That was something he always did these days, now that he was alone. The silence was too much for him to take.

* * *

The states were far different from what he was expecting. It couldn't be helped since his thoughts about the place were based on movies. Still, he at least thought he would be living in some huge city up north.

Instead the company was stationed in Dallas, Texas.

Right away he spotted things that screamed he was in Texas, but by the way the movies depicted Texas, he was expecting to see a lot more cowboys and stuff. It was strangely up to speed with the fashion, and not everyone had a very thick accent. Well, of course to him everyone had an accent.

Still, the change was huge compared to living in Ikebukuro.

The biggest change was the food. He was used to eating fast food where he lived, but even the same chain restaurants he found in America served food completely different than back home. It was a shock to the system and he even got sick a few times until he adjusted.

His housing was much better, and much cheaper as well. He used to live in an apartment with Saki, barely enough room for the two of them and the cost was crazy. However, here he was living in a place that was much too big for just one person, and paying just about the same amount. It was amazing how that goes. He had asked his co-workers if every place in the states was like that, but to his surprise they told him it was much more expensive to live up north.

Right away his boss gave him many tasks to do. It was a good thing, because it kept him from worrying too much about adjusting. When he wasn't working he spent his time at the bars, learning to talk better without confusing people.

At first his accent was so thick a lot of people gave him strange looks and some people told him he didn't even sound like he was speaking English. He got tired of having to repeat himself so he worked on getting rid of his accent by talking to many different strangers, as well as renting CDs and movies on how to help speak the language better.

He picked up on it a lot faster than he expected and to the surprise of many others around him. Because he spent so much time at the bar/diner down the street from his house he kind of picked up some friends. No one he would actually hang out with outside of the place, but people he could talk about every day life with and not judge him. It was kind of nice.

Before he knew it four months had just flown by and he could have sworn he had always been an American. Of course, when he got home he would be Japanese. It was something he told himself he needed to do, so he wouldn't forget who he was. If he invited anyone to his home they would be confused by how Japanese he tried to make it seem.

He didn't decorate it much; he only needed the bare necessities. He didn't have pictures hanging up around the house, or any house warming items. It was a little bit cold, except for some minor touches made to make it feel like home. Still, if anyone else saw it they would probably think he just moved in by how empty it looked.

It didn't matter though. He was never going to invite someone to his house anyway.

* * *

Masaomi was on the hunt. He was tired of always sleeping alone so this time he was going to find someone to have a one night stand with.

He had never really done it before. He always joked around, especially in the past when he was younger. He was quite the little skirt chaser, but to actually do it and _mean_ to sleep with them? Well, that was a different story.

He was a young man though, who needed to get his rocks off every now and then. Masturbation could only take him so far.

The club he was in was very loud and smelled of smoke. It was enough to make him gag; he knew he would be stinking after he left, and that his mouth would have a funky taste from all the smoke. Still, he was determined to not leave until he found someone.

He looked around hungrily. The women were a lot different from what he was used to in Japan, but after spending months in America he was starting to get a lot more used to them. The only problem was that a lot of them tended to be taller than him. He was glad that he was actually considered a taller Asian, being five feet eight inches in height. He was also a bit taller even when he was younger because he was 170cm – or according to American standards he was about five feet seven inches. Thankfully he grew three more centimeters before finally stopping.

He walked up to the upper level of the club which was more a bar than a dance floor, so the music was not too loud. This suited his tastes more, as it would be too hard to try and pick someone up when he had to yell over blasting music.

Right away he spotted a pretty blonde who was sitting alone. He sauntered his way over trying to not seem like a total creep. He had to be sure she wasn't actually with someone and he was just gone to get drinks. He may be a pig for wanting to have a one night stand at the moment, but he was no home wrecker and the last thing he wanted to do was get in a fight.

"Hello pretty lady," he smiled politely and took a seat next to her.

She gave him a look over and smiled back. "Hello."

He took that to be a good sign, so he tried to continue the conversation.

What he didn't realize was that there was someone else who noticed him as well - a dark haired beauty, sitting in a chair not too far away. She had noticed him as soon as he walked in and thought he would make an interesting watch. He looked out of place and it intrigued her.

"So what's a pretty lady like you doing sitting all alone?"

Masaomi and the young blonde continued to have a polite conversation, but Masaomi was starting to get antsy. She seemed interested at first but now she wasn't really biting. He had no idea how to go about the next step. Perhaps she wasn't there to pick a guy up.

"Well, I'm sorry but I really should be going now. It was nice to meet you."

'_Huh? Wait, already?'_ Masaomi didn't know what to do so he just waved. "Yes, same to you." He felt like such a moron.

After she left Masaomi sat in the chair and held his head down. Perhaps he really wasn't meant to do this.

He felt a soft touch on his shoulder. Thinking it was the young blonde coming back he got excited, but when he turned around it was someone completely new.

She was very pretty herself, but she seemed different.

"That was rather pathetic you know."

Her first words cut like a knife. Did she see the whole thing?

"That's not funny." His mood was starting to get sour. He didn't need a complete stranger telling him he was a loser.

Instead of just getting the hint and leaving she took the seat next to him much to his annoyance. "You're not an American, are you?"

"Are you going to make fun of my accent now? Don't you have anything better to do?"

He looked her in the face, expecting her expression to turn into anger but all she did was smile.

"Not at all- I find it very… how should I put it? Endearing."

He felt a little shocked. It was the first time someone actually said something like that about it.

"Just what is your game?"

Her smile seemed to get even brighter.

"My game? I'm so glad you asked!" She got closer to Masaomi's face and then whispered in his ear, "My game is the same as yours."

She backed away slowly, with a little more of a serious expression on her face. Masaomi couldn't believe how bold she was being. Is that how it was suppose to work? Well, maybe not the same for a man cause then he might end up getting slapped, or worse.

"Though I have to say, I am a little offended that you went after such an air-headed tart first, and then when I came over, you didn't even put on your silly airs."

Masaomi didn't know what to say. It was a first for him. He was the skirt chaser, not the one being chased! Still, he was a little bit intrigued.

"Come with me." The nameless woman stood up and grabbed him by the hand. Masaomi said nothing as she led him out of the club and down an alley. He prayed she wasn't trying to set him up to being mugged or something. He wasn't worried about it because he could fight them off easily, but he just didn't want the hassle, not tonight. His job gave him plenty of fights to deal with.

She wasn't though; in fact she seemed to be taking him to an apartment. Maybe hers, maybe a temporary one for just this occasion, he wasn't completely sure.

Once they were inside Masaomi took a look around. No, it looked like she lived here. "Is this a good idea, bringing a stranger into your home?"

"Why, are you going to do something bad to me? I'm actually kind of hoping you do."

Masaomi turned his head to the side. This woman was a little bit too much for him. "That's not what I meant."

She laughed, "Don't worry your pretty little head. I know what I'm doing. I have done this a number of times."

"Oh." That was all he could say.

Before he could even think of anything else she was on him like white on rice. It was intense, he couldn't even protest a bit. He would have almost called this rape if it wasn't for the fact that he wanted it as well. Wanting to gain a little more control, he pushed her towards the bed.

She let him do as he pleased, their moans echoing against the bare walls and the sweat forming on their body from the heat of the night.

The sex was rough, and anything but tender. Not what he was used to from the times he slept with Saki.

Nothing mattered to Masaomi at the moment. The pleasure was all he wanted to focus on, even though he knew it would make him feel rather empty later.

After the big finale they both collapsed on the bed, exhausted.

Masaomi stared at the ceiling wondering what he was supposed to do now. He didn't want to just leave in case that was wrong, but just leaving while she was asleep seemed even worse.

A familiar stench filled his nose so he turned to see that she had lit a cigarette. She handed him one but he politely refused.

"This is a first for you, isn't it?" she said quietly between her puffs of smoke.

Masaomi laughed lightly. "You could tell?" It was meant to be taken as sarcasm.

"Don't get me wrong, you were actually pretty good. Not the best I have had but definitely right up at the top."

Masaomi rolled his eyes. "Thanks, I guess."

"Sorry."

This surprised him. After being so cold and blunt with all her words, to hear an apology out of the blue was really strange.

"Why are you sorry?"

She took another long puff of her smoke and blew it in the opposite direction from where he lay. "Well, I tend to just say things without thinking them through. It's a bad quirk of mine which keeps me from ever having a serious relationship."

Masaomi was starting to feel a little bad now. She was just another hurt woman, not all the horrible things he was thinking about her. She just put on a stronger front than most. Sadly, he didn't know what to say to her at such a confession.

"Oh, but don't worry. I'm not letting this out on you because I expect something from you. I'm not your type."

'_Huh?'_ Now Masaomi was confused, and a little offended.

"You recently got out of a serious relationship didn't you?"

Masaomi now sat up to look at her seriously. "How do you know that?"

She just smiled at him and put out her cigarette. "It's not all that hard to guess when I could see you struggling to not say her name."

Masaomi thought back to it, but couldn't remember even thinking about Saki, except for once, but not in a way she was thinking. Did he really repress trying to say her name out loud? He really couldn't be sure.

"I don't remember trying to hold anything back."

She sat up next to him as well and placed her hand on his head and patted it gently. "Don't worry, most people wouldn't notice. I'm just a rare kind of girl."

"I can see that," he said with a bit of a chip on his shoulder.

"There I go again! Saying things without thinking it through," she lay back down. "Look, don't take anything I have to say to heart. I'm just thinking out loud."

Masaomi just stared at her. She really was a beautiful woman, and so different from what he was used to. Especially when compared to Anri and Saki.

"That doesn't really explain why you think you're not my type."

The room was silent for a little while after that. "Look, I shouldn't probably be saying this because it will only make you angry, so just drop it."

"No, don't worry; I can take it." Masaomi was dying to know what she thought of him.

"Fine, you asked for it, remember that." She took out another cigarette and began to light it. "You seem like the type of guy who needs someone to take care of them and not the other way around."

Masaomi gave her a strange look, not fully understanding what she meant.

"What I mean is, you aren't the type to try and take care of a woman."

"What the hell is that suppose to mean?" Masaomi tried not to sound too angry.

"Well, let me guess. Your last relationship broke off because it all fell through when you were trying to work a regular job and make ends meet?"

Masaomi nodded his head. He really wanted to know where she was going with this.

"I'm not saying that makes you a bad guy. Just that you need someone who can take care of you?"

"Are you trying to say I'm like the girl of the relationship?" At this point Masaomi just didn't care about being rude.

"Not exactly. This is really hard to explain; I'm sorry if I'm not making any sense. I guess I just mean you aren't suited to be the prince, or the hero for the girl. You need someone who isn't a damsel in distress." She took a puff of her lighted cigarette and Masaomi kind of gagged.

"You really shouldn't be smoking so many of those. It's going to be the death of you."

She laughed and set the thing down. "You are really sweet, you know that?"

"Whatever. You're really crazy, you know that?"

She sat back up and stretched. "Yup, I'm well aware."

Masaomi was about to say more when he heard his cell phone go off. "Damn it," he cursed under his breath.

"Excuse me for a second," he got off the bed and reached for his phone, which was in his pants pockets lying on the floor. "This is Kida."

The woman watched as he quietly talked on the phone, his facial expression getting really serious. He was almost a completely different person, and it was a bit scary.

Once he hung up he turned back to her and frowned. "I'm sorry, but that was my job and I really must be going."

"It's fine, it's not like you have any obligations to me. We won't even be seeing each other again after this."

He gave her a funny look but she didn't ask. He started to put his clothes back on and she watched with no discretion. However, he didn't seem to mind because he never once looked back at her.

He walked over to her desk and scribbled something down on a notepad she left out to take messages with. Then he headed toward the door and stopped. "What is your name?"

She smiled.

"Kate."

Then he was out the door without as much as a goodbye.

Curious to see what he had written down, she walked over to the desk with the bed sheet wrapped around her body.

It was a bunch of numbers. He really was a sweet guy. Too bad she was never going to call him. She grabbed the piece of paper and crumbled it up. "You need someone completely different from me."

Then she reached for her own phone and made a very important phone call.

* * *

"So, who is this guy that I have to deal with?" Masaomi took a seat on the leather chair in his boss's office. The call he received told him that there was some new and dangerous guy running around the streets that "_didn't make him happy_". The boss needed someone to keep a close eye on him.

"This is no simple matter. It won't be your typical blackmail run."

Masaomi smirked. "I kind of already figured that much with how quickly you wanted me here."

He watched as his boss's face went from annoyed to business. It was always an interesting thing to see to say the least. It was no wonder he was so good at running his business.

"I'm really glad we brought you here with us. I'm not sure who we could get to help us with this guy."

"Now I'm really interested. Just who is this guy?"

"He is conniving, not you're everyday guy. He is smart and knows what he wants and how to get it. He is a real danger to our business, mostly our underground business."

Masaomi raised an eyebrow. "I'm surprised you want someone like me on it then."

His boss walked over to him with a huge folder in his hand. "Well you see, he's Japanese, so we figured it would be the easiest for you."

Masaomi took the folder and his eyes widened. The thing was thick, full of many notes and things on the man.

"I want to you read over that file carefully. This is not something to be taken lightly. When you are done reading it over, come back here and I will tell you what I want you to do."

Masaomi opened of the file and his blood froze like ice. He couldn't believe what he was staring at- the messy black hair, those piercing red-brown eyes, that all-knowing smile. He closed the folder and began to laugh like crazy.

He just couldn't get away from him. It was his fate in life to always be tortured by him.

His boss stared at him as if he had just grown another head.

"Kida?"

He couldn't help it. The laughter just wouldn't stop. It was the laughter from the irony of it all, laughter from his bad luck, and the laughter that he just couldn't care anymore, even though he had mostly moved to the states to get away from this man.

"I don't need to read the file." He took a deep breath to try and calm down.

"What's going on?"

Masaomi's face turned stern and his eyes hardened. His boss backed up a few inches because of the aura being given off.

"I already know this man, and I know how to deal with him."

* * *

**To Be Continued.**


	2. Chapter 2

Don't worry about the OCs, they are not main characters. I will be bringing in the Durarara characters you love eventually.

**Author:** Ongaku**  
Genre:** Romance/Drama**  
Pairing:** Izaya/Masaomi**  
Summary:** Masaomi is moved to another country for his job, thinking he is going to get away from his life in Ikebukuro. Unfortunately there is one man he can't ever seem to escape from no matter where he goes.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Durarara or its characters, but this story line is mine. xD

**Desolation – Chapter 02**

**

* * *

**

Masaomi walked down the streets of Dallas in a hurry. After he had told his boss that he knew Izaya he had to do a lot of explaining. It wasn't a pretty thing. He had so much anger and frustration towards the man that it was hard for him to not lash out at his boss.

His boss was startled by it at first but got over it rather quickly. He even seemed happy about the fact that Masaomi knew him because it meant his plan would work even better.

Masaomi thought back to their discussion, wanting to get home as soon as possible and try to pretend it didn't happen.

* * *

"What do you mean, you know him?"

Kida glared up at his boss but answered him anyway. "I have known him ever since I was fifteen. He was my reason for taking this job, just to get away from him."

"I see. Well if you don't want to do this I won't make you, but I can't guarantee you will keep having a job here."

Masaomi's stare didn't let up. His boss – Mike – could be such a prick sometimes. It wasn't really a surprise to him when he said this.

"I didn't say I wouldn't do it." His voice was cold and flat. "I'm just letting you know how I know him."

"That's good because you knowing him will actually make this plan a little easier."

Masaomi was now curious as to what the boss was going to want him to do. Usually he would just go scare the hell out of the person or find something dirty on them to use as blackmail. Then again, it was Izaya this time so it would only make sense that the plan had to be completely different. If Izaya was the same as always he probably already had blackmail on his boss and from the reaction his boss had it was obvious the scare tactic wouldn't work since Izaya beat them to it.

"Kida."

Masaomi dropped his train of thought when he heard his boss call his name. It was funny actually, everyone in the states called him by his last name because it was easier to say. He was always told he could just use a fake name but he thought that would be too much work and to hard to get used to. Letting people call him by his last name was nice in its way because, to him, it was very impersonal. He didn't think he could get use to the American way of calling people by their first name.

Even though he had to, it was nice that everyone else just figured they already were calling him by his first name, when it was actually his last name.

"Are you homophobic?"

If Masaomi had been drinking something at that time the drink would have come spraying out of his nose. That was not even close to what he was expecting his boss to say to him next. It really didn't make any sense.

"Uh- not sure why that matters - but no, not really."

Mike walked back to his desk and sat down. It was almost like he was trying to back away before setting off the bomb. Masaomi's guts were starting to turn- he knew this couldn't be good.

"Well you see, Kida- we want you to _befriend_ Izaya."

Masaomi was not slow- he knew exactly what his boss was asking of him. He wanted him to seduce Izaya. Masaomi felt the color from his face start to drain.

"Kida?"

He wanted to ignore his boss, go into his own world and just pretend he was living in some peaceful and happy place but he knew it was not going to be possible.

"This is stupid. Why would he fall for that? Is he even gay?" Masaomi pondered his own questions. He wouldn't really be surprised if Izaya liked men or better yet, he was most likely bi since he always claimed to love everyone. He never thought about it in that way before but at the moment his mind was starting to freak out so it was leading him down dark and perverted thoughts.

"Information is that he is very 'open minded'. Besides, sending in a woman would not be a good idea by his track record."

Masaomi was about ready to just punch his boss in the face and be done with it. Did his boss really even understand the man at all? Masaomi didn't really think it was possible, especially since he was _not_ into men. Then his mind thought back to Saki at the mention of Izaya's past experiences with women. It sent a horrible shudder down his spine. He was right - it would not be good to put another woman through that kind of seduction.

"Of course, I don't plan on having you do this job just for your measly pay. We were thinking about making you in charge of a section of this company if you can pull this off."

Masaomi looked back at his boss to see if he was being serious. There were no deception in his eyes. He really wanted Masaomi to play a fruit just so he could become higher up on the food chain. It was stupid really, he was never someone to want a lot of power but yet he always ended up that way, even when he was just a stupid little kid playing gang leader.

"Fuck, I can't believe I'm fucking going to say yes."

His boss finally got back up from his desk, thinking it was safe now. "Good. I'm glad to hear that is your answer." He got close to Masaomi and was about to place his hand on his shoulder when Masaomi grabbed the man by the throat.

He made a short gasping sound, being completely caught off guard for it.

"Just to let you know, I don't find this amusing at all. Any mention of this after the job is done and I will not be your ally anymore." He let go of his boss and then headed for the door. It was probably really stupid to threaten the guy who was paying him but he had some pride. He didn't want to just accept the job and make him think that he was okay with it.

His boss needed to know just how big of a job this was going to be for him even if it came up and bit him in his ass later. After all, he just threatened a piece of the company that was probably on par with how evil Izaya could be at times.

Perhaps he was always destined to be a lackey of such people.

* * *

Masaomi walked into his home and flicked on the lights. It was so quiet and still, just the way he liked it. He kicked off his shoes when he walked in the door even though there was really no need. It was a habit he had a hard time trying to get rid of. Then he sauntered his way to his bedroom, in need of a long and hard sleep. It had been a strange night, starting with a one night stand with a woman who had foot-in-mouth syndrome and then the news of the worst job he could ever get.

He was tired, so tired that even though his mind was going a million miles a minute it really didn't take him that long to fall asleep. However, his dreams were anything but sweet.

* * *

Masaomi woke up to the feeling of the setting sun in his window. His face was wet from sweat and tears. He knew he must have had bad dreams but he was sort of thankful that he couldn't remember them at all. He looked at the clock and saw that it was five p.m. Feeling gross, he walked toward his bathroom and turned on the shower. He yawned as he waited for the water to get warm and took a look of himself in the mirror.

He looked like hell- it was going to take a lot of work to make himself look desirable. The thought of it all made him shudder with goose bumps. He then noticed a few hickeys he had from that one night stand. Not only did he look like crap but now he was starting to feel a little trashy. He was just glad she didn't place them in noticeable spots.

Seeing the steam come the shower he knew the water was definitely hot enough, probably more than enough. He placed his hand under the water and winced at the searing heat. He always seemed to do that, always waited a little too long. He turned on the cold water and waited a few seconds before testing the water again. This time it was perfect, he stripped off the rest of his clothes and slowly walked into it.

The warmth of the water instantly loosened up a lot of his tense muscles; it was also starting to wake him up a bit. He closed his eyes and placed his face under the running water enjoying the feel of the droplets hitting his face and rushing down. The grime of the night was finally starting to wash away, making him feel much better.

Sometimes he wondered if it was girly of him to take such a long shower after he woke up but it was one of the only ways he was able to get a day started. It was strange because he never did that until Saki left. It was almost like he became a little OCD wanting to wash away something that never truly went away, whether it be pain or something more.

Starting to feel a little pruney he quickly soaped up his hair and body and rinsed off, grabbing a towel from just outside the shower and putting it on as he stepped out.

His stomached growled in anger while he was brushing his teeth. It had been awhile since he had eaten anything so he figured the first place he would go would be the diner he always visited that was just down his street.

Walking back to his bedroom Masaomi thought about what he would wear. He didn't want to wear something flashy and stupid so he figured just being casual would be the best. He grabbed a pair of dark jeans and a t-shirt with some pattern on it that he couldn't have really cared much about. Then he grabbed his brown boots, the shoes he tended to wear the most.

After putting on all his clothes he walked over to his desk with is computer and turned it on. He knew his boss would be sending him an email on the details on where to find Izaya. For some strange reason, the thought of seeing the man again was not making him as nervous as he thought he would be. Then again, it might just be the fact that the information hadn't really sunk in just yet.

Still, the first time he saw him he just needed to be himself around Izaya. The seduction would have to wait because it was going to be a slow process. If he tried to rush it, Izaya would just turn the situation around on him, he was sure of it.

Sure enough there was as email waiting for him. He opened it and skimmed the text quickly, looking for the address or whatever it was he needed to know. He didn't care to read more of Mike's instructions because Mike didn't know a damn thing about Izaya, not like he did.

Finally, at the bottom of the email, there was the address, or more likely, the place. Masaomi's eyebrow rose at the title, Red Eye. He had heard of the place before but had never been to it, but the job was starting to make more sense. The bar he was to find Izaya in was a famous Gay and Lesbian bar.

This was going to make the job a little more uncomfortable. While he was not homophobic, walking into a place like that alone was probably going to earn him all sorts of problems. His boss was really going to owe him for this.

Grabbing his house keys, he closed his laptop and headed out the door. First he needed some food, and then he would muster up the courage to enter the bar.

The weather was still really warm since it was barely September. It was strange, he was used to it getting really cold by this time where he used to live. In fact he used to always wear a sweater but right now it felt like summer. The sun was already starting to show signs of setting. Working nights meant he hardly ever got to see the sun. At first it was a shock to the system but then he found out he seemed to function better at night.

Most people ignored his presence at night as well, which was a plus.

It wasn't long before he saw the usual diner he would visit. The place was quaint but it fit his needs perfectly. They opened up later in the day because it was also a bar but since it was small and meant mostly for the neighborhood there wasn't a lot of people that gathered there, just the usual customers.

"Good evening Kida. Having the usual today?"

Masaomi walked over to his favorite chair and took a seat. "Yeah, thanks Dave."

"Got any plans for tonight?"

Masaomi was used to this, the guy wasn't really trying to be nosey it was just his way of being hospitable, which meant he could answer it anyway he wanted and the guy wouldn't care.

"Not a whole lot, I actually have work tonight."

Dave took out his wash clothed and began to wipe down the bar tables. "Oh, well that's a shame then but I guess we all have to make our money if we want to eat."

Masaomi smirked to himself. He probably had no idea just how much money Masaomi had now- he just never liked to flaunt it.

"Yeah, this job's going to probably take me a long time so I will make plenty of money from it- lots of overtime if you get what I mean."

Masaomi could never really tell them what he did for a living but he had a false truth to spread. It kept them from asking too much about it because it was boring. He told them he works as a system analysis and designer. The words alone made their eyes role into the back of their heads so they never tried to pry into more of what it was about. It was a good thing- he knew some things about it but not enough to really play it off well.

"Well, just don't work too hard and forget to stop by. You need some good food."

The old man was a nice guy, which was another reason he could keep coming back here. He didn't pry but he didn't just ignore either. He had a very mature air about him.

"Don't worry, this is my favorite food. There is no way I won't be stopping by."

It was sort of the truth. At first he had to get used to the food but it was some of the best he could eat that would come out so fast. He didn't like waiting in one place for too long and eating fast food all the time wasn't appealing. He would very rarely cook himself some Japanese food from time to time though.

As his food came out, Masaomi felt his pants vibrate. Wondering who is could be he pulled out his cell phone and his eyes got wide. It was a text from Mikado. It wasn't very often he would get a message from his once dear friend. He was still playing leader of the Dollars gang. They had a lot of mishaps in the past but now it was more like a club than a gang.

Masaomi went ahead and joined it on his friends request but he never visited the site. He wouldn't have joined at all except that Mikado would have had the saddest of faces if he ignored it.

He opened his phone to read the message and felt empty inside as he stared at his first language. Living in America almost made him forget all about Japanese. The longer he looked at the message the less it started to look like words and the more it felt like looking at pictures, but perhaps that was because the words themselves were pretty empty.

All it said was- how have you been lately? We have missed you down here.

It was a typical message. He would get this from him from time to time and for some reason it was like he was always expecting something more, something more exciting. He closed his phone and decided he would reply back to him much later. Right now he didn't think it was a good time to lie since he was about to be less than okay.

The smell of the hamburger brought him back to his senses as his stomach growled loudly enough to get a few other peoples attention. They didn't say anything though, which he was glad for.

"Why hello there Kida!"

A familiar female voice got his attention so he turned around and sure enough it was Beth, one of the other regulars. She took a seat next to him without asking and smiled at him.

"Did you have fun last night?"

Masaomi flinched. He had forgotten that she knew about his plans last night. It was mostly her suggestion. In the past he always wondered about the girl, she was very pushy and flirty. He wasn't sure if she was just a super friendly person or if she was interested in him. It wasn't until he heard her talking about her girlfriend did he find out she was actually a lesbian. Strangely enough, he never saw that girlfriend though and wondered why. He never asked because he had plenty of his own secrets.

"It was-" he paused a bit trying to figure out the best way to phrase it, "interesting, to say the least."

"Oh?" she moved in a little closer. "Do tell."

Masaomi figured he should indulge her. She was harmless and it really didn't matter if she knew anyway. Besides he wanted to ask her some questions himself that she might not want to answer. Better to get on her good side right now.

"The woman was different from what I'm used to. In fact, I'm pretty sure I was the one picked up and used, not the other way around."

Beth burst out into laughter. "That's not surprising, we woman can be quit demanding when we want to be."

"Yeah no kidding." He thought back to all the strange things that woman had said to him and sighed.

"I take it you didn't have a good time then?"

Masaomi thought about it. While it wasn't the best thing in the world he couldn't say it was a horrible time, besides that would just be rude to her. The sex was good for such meaningless and empty sex.

"Well, it wasn't a bad time. I guess it was good for a meaningless one night stand."

Beth patted his pack and nodded her head. "That is very true. At least you didn't go home all alone feeling like a loser."

He smiled at Beth when he remembered his first try to pick someone up. "You got that right. At first I thought it was going to be hopeless."

"Aw, really? That is surprising. If I didn't love women I would totally go for you."

He laughed. "That's only because you don't know me."

She seemed to ponder this a bit before slapping him hard on the back. "That's true you secretive little bastard!"

It was all in silliness but sometimes he wished she would learn to have some tact. Now he was sure to have a nice little handprint on his back.

"I've got a question for you."

She sat back in her chair and relaxed. "Go for it."

"Ever been to the place, Red Eye?"

He watched her face carefully as it went from relaxed to smiley.

"Why, are you trying to tell me that you are starting to be interesting in the same sex?"

"Hardly. If you hate men so much what makes you think I like them just because I am one?"

She laughed. "You got a point there. You poor man, it must suck to be one."

Masaomi rolled his eyes. This girl was hardly ever serious.

"You never answered my question though."

"Oh! I'm sorry. I have been to it a few times. It is a nice place, lots of good music and the drinks are made well. Actually, it's the place where I met my girlfriend." Beth turned away from Masaomi and yelled her order at Dave. He mumbled something about noisy pains but placed the order anyway.

They were always like that. Dave and Beth loved to get on each other's nerves. It was amusing but Masaomi could tell that they actually really liked each other, as friends of course.

"Have you- well this is going to sound strange but have you ever noticed an Asian man there?" Masaomi took a bite of his hamburger and chewed it slowly waiting for her answer.

"I'm not completely sure, since I don't pay attention to men."

Masaomi wanted to roll his eyes, he should have known.

"But- there was a man that walked around from time to time, talking to the customers. He had a thick accent so I think he might have been Asian. I'm not all that observant though so he could be some other race and I'm just making him Asian in my head because you asked."

Masaomi swallowed his food and felt his stomach lurch. That was probably him, he would be the type to go around to get lots of information.

"What is this all about anyway?"

Masaomi pushed his plate away deciding it might not be a good idea to eat anymore. "I have just been looking for a man that is supposed to be living in this town now. I heard that he is at that bar a lot."

"Oh. Well, good luck and I hope you find him. Are you going there tonight?"

Masaomi nodded his head.

"You better watch yourself then. You are a good looking guy, you will be sure to turn a few heads."

"Ug, don't curse me!" Masaomi set his head down on the table.

Dave walked up at that moment with Beth's food. "What did you just do to Kida? Beth, how many times do I have to tell you to use tact?"

Beth just stuck her tongue out at the old man. "I didn't say anything that wasn't a compliment."

Dave looked over at Masaomi and shook his head. "It doesn't look that way to me." Then he walked away as if he had given up on trying to get through to Beth.

Masaomi looked down at his watch and noticed it was 8:30pm. The time sure did fly, but then again he had taken a really long shower. "I should probably get going though- got a lot of stuff to do tonight for work."

"Aw, that is too bad. I will see you around later then."

"Yes, later. See you around, Dave."

"Have a good night."

Masaomi nodded and walked out the door with a clang of the bell. It was now dark enough to have the street lights on. Masaomi watched as many cars flew by in a hurry to get home or go out to party. He wished he could just go home right now. The closer he was to that bar the more he started to lose his nerve.

He made his way to a bus stop and took a seat to wait patiently. It would be another 30 minutes before the bus came because he had just missed the 8:30 one. It didn't matter to him though, that would just mean it would be closer to drinking hours and he wouldn't have to feel so weird going to a bar so early.

* * *

The bus had dropped him off a block away from the bar. Masaomi took a deep breath and walked to his destination. This side of town was not one he was used to being in. He was already starting to get the attention of many people.

When he got to the bar he noticed a short line, people getting their IDs checked. He went ahead and pulled out his before getting in line.

"Hey there, I haven't seen you here before."

Masaomi clinched his teeth, he wasn't even inside yet and it looked like he was already being hit on.

"Yeah, I'm here to find a friend."

He hoped the man got the idea and left him alone but his luck seemed to be down at the moment.

"Oh? Who is this friend of yours? Perhaps I can help you find him. I'm a regular so I know a lot of the people that come."

Just his luck- a meddlesome person. "No it's okay I'm sure I can find him. He kind of stands out."

Just when the other guy was about to talk again the door man at the front took his ID and nodded for him to go in. Masaomi nodded his head back in thanks and walked in, with the strange guy following. Deciding it was probably best to give up he decided to just ignore his presence. At least this way it kept anyone else from trying to hit on him.

Once they were inside Masaomi just stood on the outskirts of the place and took it all in. It was a typical bar, some loud music, but no smoke smell. He noticed the banned smoke sign and was actually kind of glad for it. There were already a number of happy people in the place, some of them on the dance floor and others just sitting at the bar and having a few laughs.

He wouldn't have even known it was a gay bar if it wasn't for all the same sex couples. For some reason he thought they would be a little more - crazy - but then he was really good at imagining things.

"By the way, my name is Ross. What is yours?" He extended his hand and Masaomi looked down at it as if trying to decide if he really wanted to make himself acquainted with the man.

Figuring he was being rude he went ahead and grabbed his hand and shook it back. "Kida."

"Well it is nice to meet you Kida, I hope you have a nice time here."

Masaomi smiled at him but inside he was thinking tons of horrible things about the place. There was no way he was going to enjoy himself, especially knowing his most hated person would be here.

"Thank you."

After that the man began to talk up a storm towards him. Telling him all about the people that came and some of their scandals, who was single and who wasn't. To be truthful he wasn't even paying attention to most of it. He was on full alert waiting to see him.

A few other guys had gathered around them and started to talk, trying to include him as best as they could but Masaomi wasn't being very social.

"Have you spotted your friend yet?"

Blinking away his thoughts he focused on Ross who had just asked him that question. "No, not yet."

The rest of them looked at each other as if they didn't believe he was actually waiting for a friend. They probably thought he was still someone hiding in the closet, being too afraid to outright admit he was coming to the bar looking for a good time.

"My, my, my Kida, Masaomi-kun."

Masaomi's heart stopped. That was it- the voice that had plagued him for a good portion of his life and the man who tortured him in so many different ways just because it was interesting.

He looked at the other guys that were around him as they seemed nervous.

Masaomi didn't want to turn around though. He wasn't prepared.

A long and slender arm wrapped around his shoulder and pulled him back towards a tall and lanky body.

Masaomi wondered how much longer he would live with his heart frozen. He wanted to scream, run away, kick and just never come back but that wouldn't do for his job.

He felt Izaya's breath on his face as he got closer to him to say something into his ear. "I had no idea that you were gay, Masaomi. No wonder you and Saki didn't work out."

Finally snapping out of his daze he pushed Izaya off of him and turned around to glare at the man. He hadn't changed much, same height, same lanky body, same evil smirk and same red-brown eyes that seemed to read him like an open book.

"Izaya-san." He clinched his fists knowing he was probably making nail marks in his palms. "It's been awhile."

* * *

**To Be Continued.**


	3. Chapter 3

Ug, this chapter was so forced. I can't wait until I get past all the development stuff. I'm ready to write some smut! Haha Anyway, finally Izaya has entered the scene!

**Author:** Ongaku

**Genre:** Romance/Drama

**Pairing:** Izaya/Masaomi

**Summary:** Masaomi is moved to another country for his job, thinking he is going to get away from his life in Ikebukuro. Unfortunately there is one man he can't ever seem to escape from no matter where he goes.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Durarara or its characters, but this story line is mine. xD

* * *

**Desolation – Chapter 03**

They stared at each other for what seemed like forever until Ross interrupted the silence.

"Oh wow! I had no idea that the friend you were looking for was the owner of this club!"

Masaomi's eyes went wide. That was news to him as well.

Izaya's grin got even bigger- if that were even possible. "So you were looking for me, huh?"

Masaomi turned his head away. He couldn't stand to look at him.

"I'm sorry guys, but I'm afraid this one is mine. He has been for quite sometime now." He grabbed Masaomi by the arm and pulled him away from the group.

Masaomi didn't say anything but looked back at the guys he was with just moments ago. They looked disappointed but relieved at the same time. Masaomi wished he could be feeling relief but now the dread that used to follow him all the time in Japan came back.

After a while Masaomi started to wonder where Izaya was taking him. It was getting darker and darker, which made him really nervous.

Not liking the fact that he was getting pulled away from the safety of other people, he pulled his arm away from Izaya. Izaya stopped when he felt the tug and turned to look at Masaomi.

"Something wrong?" his voice was full of amusement.

"I don't trust you." Masaomi replied in a steady voice.

Izaya gave him a fake hurt look and then smiled. "Aw, I'm hurt and after all we have been through." He said this loud enough that some of the people around them turned to look.

Feeling like Izaya was going to put him on the spot for embarrassment his sighed. "Whatever, just tell me where you are taking me."

Izaya said nothing for a while making Masaomi uncomfortable. He always got the feeling that Izaya was sizing him up, studying him, trying to figure out where it would hurt the most to poke him.

"Just to my office, it's a little too loud for us to catch up in here."

Masaomi could never read Izaya's face so he couldn't tell if he was just simply stating a fact or making some innuendo. "What makes you think I want to catch up with you?" he glared once again.

"Well then-" Izaya stared at him intently. "Why did you come here?"

Trapped. He was already getting trapped in Izaya's web. There was no way he could say he was there looking for a date but telling him that he was looking for him would be just as bad.

It was too late though, it was quite obvious why he was there. No words were needed. Izaya took him by the arm again and continued to drag him back to his office.

They walked down some hallways and went through a door just to go through some more hallways. Masaomi wondered just how big the place was.

Finally they reached the door to his office. Izaya let Masaomi walk in first and ushered him to sit down on the sofa. Masaomi decided not to fight it too much otherwise it would just be a waste of his time and energy.

Izaya went over to a chair placed in the room. The chair looked exactly like the one he had back at his home in Japan and he wondered if it actually was the same one.

"Why are you here?" Masaomi blurted out without even thinking.

Izaya just rested his chin down on his hands and looked at him with his usual smile. "Well, I happen to work here."

Masaomi's eye twitched. "That's not what I meant, and you know it."

Izaya spun his chair around once and started to laugh. "Oh Masaomi, you are really too much fun."

_That is just like him_, Masaomi thought. _Not answering my question and only making me more nervous_.

Izaya opened up a draw next to the desk beside him and pulled out a small case and some papers.

To Masaomi's surprise the case was a glasses case. Izaya slipped them on and began to look over the papers he had in his hand.

Masaomi just continued to stare at him. He looked a lot different in glasses- it was almost kind of deceiving. It was like he was just another regular business man. Maybe it was because it hid his eyes a little but for some reason Masaomi thought he seemed less dangerous with them on.

He shook his head quickly when he realized how stupid he was sounding. He was still the same old Izaya, just because he put on glasses didn't change that fact.

"Let's just say-"

Masaomi's ears perked up when Izaya began to speak again.

"I got tired of having to deal with Shizu-chan and his bad attitude."

Masaomi rolled his eyes. He knew that couldn't be the reason for him to leave Japan. Not the only reason anyway. Still, he was surprised that Izaya actually gave him any sort of answer. Maybe the glasses did have some sort of magical powers.

"Or maybe it is because I wanted to find you, Masaomi-kun."

Or not. Masaomi shuddered when Izaya said his name in a sing song voice.

"Haha, very funny- you are one screwed up man if you moved all the way to the states just so you could torture me some more."

Izaya pulled off his glasses and stared Masaomi down.

Masaomi wanted to look away, nervous sweat was trickling down the back of his neck as he wondered what was going to happen.

"So everyone tells me." Izaya said with a sickening smirk.

"What about you? What are you doing here?"

Masaomi opened his mouth and then closed it. He wasn't exactly sure how he was going to answer the question. He really wasn't sure himself. He didn't really care that much about his job or the money, but at the same time he didn't want to end up getting fired because then he would have to go back to Japan.

That reason was starting to seem pointless though if Izaya was still around. Perhaps it wasn't Izaya he was really trying to get away from. Masaomi wondered what the hell he was doing there, not just in the club but in America. He had no real reason except that he was being a coward and running away from all his problems.

Maybe that is why he decided to take the job of seducing Izaya, he wanted to stop running. He was tired of living in fear and not just living his life.

"I wanted a fresh start."

The answer was simple but pretty clear. Izaya was always able to read him like an open book. He knew that he left to get away from him and Saki, possibly even Mikado and Anri. He just didn't feel like he belonged with them anymore. He felt like a changed man, whether it was for the best or for the worst.

Izaya got off his chair and made his way towards Masaomi.

For some reason Masaomi was not feeling all that nervous this time. Looking at the man he realized that he was just an ass, but still just another human. He was evil but he was also a coward and never actually got down into the dirty work himself, not the way he himself did. Sure Izaya was a good dodger -thanks to Shizuo- but when it came to a fight he would probably lose against him- only if he could get past his defense.

In a way, Izaya was just one of those bad businessmen. He was a manipulator who didn't even have a good poker face. You could read his intentions on his face by his smirks, his glares, and his frowns.

Izaya got right in his face, their lips only an inch or two away from each other. Masaomi could feel his breath on his upper lip but he didn't move. They stared into each others eyes as if daring one to move first. Perhaps Izaya was testing him again to see if he would freak out if his personal space was invaded. In the past, he would have jerked back but if he really wanted to trick Izaya he was going to have to be different.

"You have always been the most interesting person to me, Masaomi-kun." Izaya said very quietly, the warmth of his breath making a strong presence on Masaomi's face.

Then he pulled away.

Masaomi couldn't believe that was it. He expected to hear some twisted words coming out his mouth to make him squirm, to make him feel pain, but there was nothing. Izaya just took a seat next to him and started to hum.

Masaomi wasn't really sure what to make of it.

"And you have always been the bane of my existence." Masaomi said calmly.

Izaya laughed a deep throated laugh but didn't seem to mind hearing that.

"So- why a gay bar?" Masaomi was actually very curious.

Izaya didn't say anything- he just got up from his spot and walked towards another drawer on the right side of the room. When Masaomi saw what he pulled out he felt a sudden chill run down his spine.

A yellow scarf- it looked brand new too.

Izaya made his way back to Masaomi and wrapped the thing around his neck. Masaomi wanted to push him away, wanted to yell at him, lose his tempter like he had always done in the past but for some reason he couldn't. He felt frozen in place, fear of the yellow scarf burning him.

"My-my-my- Masaomi-kun- you always did look good in yellow." Then he thrust Masaomi up with the scarf -almost choking him- and brought their lips together.

Masaomi didn't know what to do. His eyes were as wide as saucers. It was just too bizarre, the man he hated the most in his life was kissing him. Just as quickly as it had happened it was over. Izaya broke from the kiss and let go of the scarf.

Masaomi fell back and watched as the scarf slid from his neck and onto the floor. He couldn't seem to take his eyes off it.

Izaya bent down to pick it up and folded it up into a nice square. He then handed it to Masaomi who took it. "Here, this is yours to keep so that you know that you can never truly escape me."

Masaomi said nothing, just stood up and made his way toward the door. He didn't even bother too look back at Izaya to see what his facial expression was. He didn't need to, he knew that Izaya had most likely won this battle but he was going to be sure that he didn't win the war.

He was going to use the stupid scarf as a reminder to not fall for it. He was the one doing the manipulating this time. Izaya was not going to get under his skin.

* * *

"Oh my god! What happened to your neck?" Beth said loudly as Masaomi walked into his favorite eating place.

It was the next day and Masaomi was feeling restless. He barely got any sleep because of all the things going through his head.

He instinctively touched his neck at Beth's comment. He had seen it before he left and thought about wearing a turtle neck but then decided against it. There was a small red ring around his neck, left over from the choking grip Izaya had done to him with that scarf. The very scarf he was now wearing on his wrist.

Beth took notice of the scarf and laughed. "What is that? You look like you're some gang member, though it is a pretty color."

Masaomi just smirked. He remembered hearing words like that before, the part about it being pretty. He knew Beth was no Saki though so it didn't bother him.

"Masaomi, are you into kinky stuff or something?"

Masaomi took his seat and ordered his usual, getting a strange look from Dave but got no questions. Beth sat down next to him and glared at him, expecting some sort of answer this time.

"It's nothing like that, Beth. I was wearing this thing around my neck at first, and obviously a little too tight." He pointed to the scarf on his wrist.

Beth didn't look like she really believed him but said no more about the marks. "So, what is the deal with the scarf anyway? It isn't exactly in fashion or are you trying to make a statement?"

"No, it is just a memory back from my days when I lived in Japan."

"Were you a gang member in Japan or something?" she asked with a laugh.

Masaomi looked her in the eyes with a serious expression on his face. It was all that Beth needed to realize she really didn't want to know anymore than that.

"My, you really are a guy with many mysteries and secrets."

Masaomi chuckled. "I'm just teasing you." He decided she really didn't need to think he was some dangerous guy because in reality he really wasn't. He might have been the leader of a powerful gang in the past but that was all on accident. The truth was that he hated to fight.

"That's not very nice of you, Kida." Beth pouted and took a sip of her drink. "Here I was starting to get worried about you."

Masaomi smiled- maybe he really did have some friends here. "I'm sorry, I won't do it again." He made his flirty eyes at her, like he did back in the old days when he tried to pick up women.

"Ew! Don't get gross on me now!" Beth laughed then smacked him on the back.

"Both of you need to grow up." Dave said as he set their food down in front of them.

Beth just scoffed. "I don't know about Kida, but I'm all grown up thank you very much."

Dave just shook his head. "If you have to say it like that, then it is proof that you are actually still just a child."

Beth's face twisted with annoyance and Masaomi just laughed at their antics. For some reason Masaomi was starting to feel at home. It took him damn well long enough too.

After Dave and Beth stopped bickering, Dave went back into the kitchen to check on some things.

Masaomi figured it was now or never.

"Beth, I have a question for you."

She turned her full attention at him when she heard him actually use her name. Most of the time he would just start talking- almost like he didn't even know her name.

"Go on."

Masaomi took a deep breath. He wasn't really sure how she would handle this question.

"How would you go about seducing a guy?"

There, he said it. He wondered if the sweat from his nerves could be seen falling down his face and neck.

Beth stared at him and then smiled. "I'm surprised you asked me since I am a lesbian. It makes me wonder if you are stupid or maybe smarter than you let on."

Oh. Right. She was a lesbian. "If you don't think you can answer then I will understand."

"Don't get ahead of yourself now." She glared at him. "I wasn't always a lesbian to tell you the truth. In fact I never loved a woman until I met Michelle."

At this, Masaomi eyes widened. "The girlfriend you are with now? How long have you been with her?"

She nodded her head to confirm what he had just said. "Um, about six months now."

She then laughed. "You see, before her I was very guy crazy. I would have to say I slept with at least twenty different men and dated only five of them."

Masaomi was starting to understand why she decided to go lesbian. If such a beautiful woman like her had such a hard time with men then it was no wonder she would give up on them.

"I'm curious though, why do you want to know how to seduce men. Is there something you aren't telling me?"

He was afraid she would ask that. He hoped his planned lie would be enough to keep her from asking more.

"I was just curious. Maybe it would help me pick on the signs of a girl coming on to me." He wiggled his eyebrow at her, which made her laugh again.

"Don't worry- I'm not one of them."

It seemed to have worked, he sighed in relief.

"There are many tips I can give you. Such as just leaning in underneath them when they are sitting next to you. It makes them want to come in and kiss you. It always worked for me anyway."

Masaomi tried to picture himself doing that to Izaya and wondered if it would even work. He didn't want to be too obvious. A guy doing girly moves would be pretty obvious.

Then again, he wondered if he really needed any tricks like that for Izaya. He had already taken the initiative and kissed him first, although it was violent.

She went on to tell him about a few other techniques, things he would actually try to do at some point- if the opportunity should arise. He wondered just how many things she could tell and was starting to wonder if the girl truly was a lesbian or not.

Then her phone rang and it was her girlfriend. At least it had to have been. He could hear a woman's voice on the other end. For some strange reason he could have sworn he had heard it before too, but figured he was just thinking about it too much.

Once she hung up she told him her goodbyes and then headed out to leave, with a big goofy smile on her face.

Perhaps being a lesbian wasn't the right word for her. She was just happy, happy in love and it didn't matter if it was woman.

Somehow, it made him feel a little less uncomfortable with the seduction thing with Izaya. The only difference was that he didn't love Izaya, not one bit. Some people liked to say that hate and love have a very thin line though.

* * *

Masaomi made his way into his home and sighed loudly. He was feeling really glad to be home again. He tossed his shoes to the side and threw his jacket on the coat rack nearby.

Just as he was about to walk over to his desk to check his email he felt his phone buzz.

He opened it up and saw it was another text message from Mikado. He swore under his breath when he realized he had forgotten to text him back after the whole ordeal with his first visit to Izaya's place.

The text message simply asked him if he got his previous one. Feeling he shouldn't ignore it this time he responded a simple reply.

He typed in that he was sorry to not respond sooner, that he got the message, but he was so busy at the time he couldn't respond then he had accidently forgotten later.

It was sort of the truth, except for the part about being busy when he first got the text. He just didn't feel like responding to such a mundane question when he knew he was going to have to lie through his teeth.

Just a minute after he sent his text his phone buzzed again. Masaomi was surprised by how quickly Mikado responded. This time the text was a little longer, telling him that was fine. He was just starting to get worried since he hadn't heard anything in a while.

Masaomi started to feel a little guilty. Perhaps Mikado had sent him such mundane text messages because he didn't make it easy for Mikado to do much else. He had started to close himself off after all the events that happened in the past. He wasn't as cheerful either, to which a lot of people didn't like, including Saki.

Sighing, Masaomi texted back that he was sorry again and that he was doing fine. He then told him he was going to head into work but would text him again later.

It was strange really. After what happened at the club Masaomi thought he would be feeling a lot more stressed out. After all, he had to deal with the man he swore he hated the most and the worst part of it all was that he just got kissed by said man. He couldn't call it anything romantic though, his throat was still a little sore from the chocking grip Izaya had on him.

It was like seeing him again brought certain clarity to his self. He was starting to feel like his old self again, if that was a good thing or not, he wasn't for sure. He was pretty sure the people at the old diner thought it was a nice change though. He was a lot more chatty and upbeat for a change. It wore him out a bit because it had been awhile since he had acted so animated. He wanted to go back to being silly and making bad jokes.

Tomorrow he would make a conscious effort to be his old self, especially when he went to see Izaya again. He had so many plans, thanks to his conversation with Beth.

He went over to his laptop to send his boss a status update on his situation and then shut it off and crawled into his bed. He was exhausted because he wasn't able to sleep much before. Now that he had gotten a lot of things off his mind he knew his night this time would be much better.

The fun was just about to start.

* * *

**To Be Continued.**


End file.
